PORT ST. LUCIE — The path to Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuña beginning the season with the Mets is now clear, as part of Saturday’s roster cuts.
Specifically, Donovan Walton was told he won’t be on the team.
Walton was the last infielder in camp competing with Baty and Acuña for a job.
Even so, manager Carlos Mendoza stopped short of saying Baty and Acuña will open the season with the Mets — the team conceivably could pick up a player cut from another camp before Opening Day.
Baty has been among the team’s best performers this spring, posting a 1.123 OPS while showing he’s capable of handling second base with Jeff McNeil sidelined by a strained oblique.
Acuña provides an option at second base, shortstop and third base.
Chris Devenski, José Ureña, Génesis Cabrera and Jakson Reetz were also informed they won’t be part of the Opening Day roster.
Reetz’s removal from the mix cleared a path for Hayden Senger sticking as the backup catcher, but Mendoza said that decision is still not official. Senger homered in a 5-5 tie with the Nationals.
Reed Garrett, José Buttó and Danny Young were all informed they will be on the Opening Day roster.
Tylor Megill, in his final start before potentially joining the starting rotation, extended to 88 pitches.
He allowed three earned runs on six hits and two walks over 5 ¹/₃ innings.
Mendoza will choose among Megill, Griffin Canning and Paul Blackburn for two starting pitchers.
Blackburn, who pitched in a minor league game, is a bullpen candidate.
“It’s not my decision, but I had a good spring, a lot of positives” Megill said. “The stuff is there, not a lot of hard contact, I put the ball in play so overall I thought it was positive.”
A.J. Minter pitched a scoreless inning with a strikeout.
The lefty reliever will likely pitch again Monday — giving him two appearances in three days, a barometer Mendoza is using to gauge if Minter will be ready to begin the season.
The Mets have taken it cautiously with Minter this spring in his return from hip surgery.
“That is going to be the test, pitching two out of three [days],” Minter said.
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